VSS warns over social insurance scammers

A fake account pretending to be Bình Dương Province Social Security to purchase social insurance books in the province. Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has issued a warning over scammers using fake social media accountsfor profiteering related to the purchase of social insurance books in recent days.

For example, taking advantage of the complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have made a fake Facebook account pretending to be Bình Dưong Province Social Security to purchase social insurance books in the province over the past three days.

The scammers claim to offer services to allow people to receive a lump-sum social insurance payout (compensation which a labourer is eligible for when they stop working earlier than the retirement age and does not receive pension), but in reality, take a large amount of the payout for themselves.

According to the VSS, all Facebook accounts involved in such actions were fake.

The sale and collecting of social insurance books in any form were illegal and would be strictly punished in accordance with regulations, it said.

As soon as the incident was detected, Bình Dương Social Insurance asked the provincial Department of Information and Communications to take measures to prevent and settle it accordingly. The provincial Social Insurance also informed the police and requested they investigate the incident.

The VSS has notified the Department of Cyber Security and High-tech Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security of the fake accounts.

It also asked social insurance agencies at provinces and cities to enhance communication work so people could be informed and that violations would be detected in a timely manner. — VNS